Bohol’s ‘Chocolate Princess’ bags APEC business award

Bohol’s ‘Chocolate Princess’ bags APEC business award

Dalareich Polot presents her products and business model to a panel of judges in La Serena in Chile. | Photo: courtesy of DTI 7 chief Aster Caberte

Boholana chocolate maker Dalareich Polot has bagged a prestigious international award for the second time this year.

Polot, dubbed Bohol’s “Chocolate Princess,” won from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) the Business Efficiency and Success Target (BEST) award for “Best Family Support” during the 21-member bloc’s Women and the Economy Forum in La Serena, Chile on Wednesday.

The award was received in Chile by Department of Trade and Industry VII Director Aster Caberte for Polot, who was in Tagbilaran City during the tilt. She remotely presented her business model to the panel of judges in Chile via Skype.

According to Polot, she was not expecting to win an award as she was one of only few who did not present their business model personally.

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“It’s unexpected. I wasn’t there personally to present it because I decided to do my presentation online,” said Polot, manager of Dalareich Chocolate House and CEO of Ginto Chocolates, both Tagbilaran City-based enterprises.

Polot’s award was one of seven recognitions up for grabs during the event.

The APEC BEST Award, an annual event which started in 2016, recognizes women in the Asia Pacific region who display entrepreneurship best practices, particularly among micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.

“The APEC BEST AWARD aims at attracting the interest of mass media, business and publiccommunity to the issues of the development of women’s entrepreneurship across the APEC economies,” organizers said.

According to Polot, she was nominated by the Philippine Commission on Women to be part of the international contest.

It was the second time that Polot won an international award in 2019 after she bagged a Gold Award in the international London-based Academy of Chocolate Awards in June.

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The Academy of Chocolate was founded in 2005 by five of Britain’s leading chocolate professionals, united in the belief that eating fine chocolate is one of life’s great pleasures. (with V. Ligan)